Tyler Waguespack has already broken the record, but the final number is still up for grabs with eight days left in the regular season.
With just eight days left of the 2026 rodeo season, Tyler Waguespack maintains his lead in the PRCA steer wrestling world standings race and has already rewritten the record book in the process. The five-time World Champion surpassed the previous regular-season earnings record last weekend in Mandan, but with The Governor’s Cup still ahead, there is plenty of opportunity for the record to climb even higher before the season ends.
Waguespack stopped the clock in 3.5 seconds to win the steer wrestling in Mandan and collect $9,475. The payday pushed his 2026 regular-season earnings to $205,876, surpassing the previous record of $199,263 set by two-time NFR qualifier Dalton Massey in 2024.
While Waguespack has maintained his spot atop the steer wrestling standings for much of the season, No. 2-ranked Jesse Brown is within striking distance – especially when this weekend’s Governor’s Cup on the horizon. Brown, who has earned $193,114.53 so far this season, has also secured a qualification to Sioux Falls, giving both cowboys a shot at a piece of the $1.5 million payout.
What’s the Governor’s Cup? And Why is it So Significant?
This weekend, September 25–27, is the eagerly-anticipated Governor’s Cup. The road to Sioux Falls begins in Puyallup, Washington, where the Top 24 contestants in the PRCA Playoffs Series points standings will compete at the Cinch Playoffs earlier in September. From there, the format gets even more competitive.
The top four finishers in each event at Puyallup, along with the top eight athletes in the PRCA Playoffs Series standings following the Puyallup competition, will advance to Sioux Falls. That creates a field of 12 contestants in each event.
A season earnings record isn’t the only record Waguespack is chasing this season. If he secures a sixth world title, he would tie with Homer Pettigrew for the most in PRCA history – a record that has stood since the 1940’s. Pettigrew still holds the steer wrestling record for both total world championships and consecutive world championships, winning six titles overall and four straight. He earned those six world titles within an eight-year span, 1940–1948, and finished second in the world in 1947, 1949, and 1950.
With a little over a week remaining before the Sept. 30 deadline, we’re looking forward to seeing who will ultimately hold the new regular-season earnings record and who will secure a spot at the Thomas & Mack in December. We wish all of the ProRodeo competitors the best of luck in these final days, whether they’ve already secured their place in Las Vegas or are on the bubble still chasing one more big payday.
